Texas Lawmakers Look to End Ban on Open Carry of Handguns

The new Texas legislature will be looking into several new gun laws in the new year, including one that ends the ban on the open carry of handguns.

Among the proposed measures to be discussed next year are banning cities and counties from restricting gun rights, rejecting federally imposed firearm restrictions, a sales tax holiday on gun sales, and prohibiting schools from punishing students for making their breakfasts into the shape of a gun, based on the Maryland case where a second-grader was suspended for biting his Pop-Tart into the shape of a gun. That last bill has support from both sides of the political spectrum. Democratic State Representative Ryan Guillen said,

The bill is a proactive effort to prevent even the chance of a Texas student losing valuable instruction time due to an act of non-disruptive, non-threatening behavior by a child.

Legislators will also be discussing the possibility of expanding the state's current handgun carry law, concealed carry with a permit, to unlicensed open carry. One hope for such a bill is to allow teachers and school administrators easier ability to carry firearms in response to recent school violence. Open Carry Texas, the controversial group accused of endangering public safety with their armed rallies, has been the biggest supporter of complete open carry in Texas. Group founder C.J. Grisham said,

We have so many gun bills that have been filed that we can't have anything but an open carry law passed next year.

Current speculation is that the open carry bill will be easily passed as Governor-Elect Greg Abbott has openly supported the measure.